Block a Stolen Phone
If your phone's been stolen, you may be worried about the information. Both Android and iOS have utilities that allow you to lock your phone down, provided you've enabled the service to begin with. If you don't have access to these services, your carrier will still be able to prevent your phone from being used, and the police may be able to get it back for you.
Steps
What To Do First
- Open your device manager on a computer or other device. Both iPhone and Android have utilities that allow you to locate, lock down, and wipe your device remotely. Newer devices have this functionality enabled by default, but older devices need to have this manually enabled before the device is lost. You can use these utilities from any web browser, or by using the app on someone else's device. You will need to log in with the Google account or Apple ID that you used with your lost phone. If you don't have this service enabled for your phone, see the next section.
- Android - google.com/android/devicemanager
- iPhone - icloud.com/#find
- Lock the phone. The first thing you should do when you log into the device manager is lock your stolen phone. This is especially important if you don't have a passcode for your screen.
- Android - Click "Lock" in the device manager for your stolen device. You'll be prompted to enter a new password for the device.
- iPhone - Click "Lost Mode" in Find My iPhone for your stolen device. You'll be prompted to create a new PIN, and you can also enter a message and a contact number. Newer versions of iOS will automatically turn on the Activation lock as when the device is setup, preventing anyone from wiping and reusing the phone.
- Erase your phone. If you know that the device is stolen and want to ensure that your data doesn't fall into the wrong hands, you can erase your phone remotely. If the phone is not currently turned on, it will automatically erase the next time it is.
- Android - Click "Erase" and then confirm that you want to delete all of the data on the phone.
- iPhone - Click "Erase iPhone" and then confirm that you want to delete all of its data. Newer iPhones will not be able to be activated by anyone else, even after being wiped and jailbroken.
- Avoid tracking down a stolen phone. Your device manager will display the location of your phone if it is turned on, but it is highly recommended that you don't attempt to track ti down yourself if you believe it is stolen. Report it to the proper authorities and rest easy knowing that your information is secure.
- Change all of your passwords and PINs. There's a good chance that you have important passwords saved on your phone, giving whomever stole it easy access to your personal data. As soon as you suspect that your phone has been stolen, you should change all of your email, banking, and shopping passwords. This is especially important if your phone is not protected by a passcode or other screen lock. Even if you locked down and erased your device in the previous section, you should still do this.
Contacting Authorities
- Contact your carrier. If you know that your device has been stolen, you should contact your carrier immediately. Your carrier will be able to disable the service for your phone line, preventing the person who stole your phone from using your phone to make calls and texts. Your carrier can also provide your with your phone's IMEI number, which you'll need to file a police report.
- Contact your local police department. Head to your local police station or call your local non-emergency number and report your stolen phone. Give as much detail as possible, and be sure to have your phone's IMEI number handy, as most police reports require it. Not only will filing a police report potentially help get your phone back, it will allow you to file an insurance claim and prove that you didn't have your phone if fraudulent charges appear.
- Contact insurance (if applicable). If you have insurance on your phone, you can start the replacement process once you have a police report reference number. Contact your phone's insurance company to see how to get the process started.
